Safety bar for bathtubs



July 4, 1950 H. s. BENNETT SAFETY BAR FOR BATHTUBS Filed June 2, 1948 IIIII/ uf [n ventor" Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES "PA'IENT OFFICE SAFETY BAR FOR BATHTUBS HowardS. Bennett, .Scotia, N. Y.

Application 'June 2, 194'8,Serial No. 30,653

'7 Claims.

My invention relates to safety device for bathtubs of the type having overhanging ledges at the top thereof and which are not built into the walls of the bathroom. More particularly it relates to a bar of a length adapting it to extend transversely across the top of a bathtub, and which provided with means for positively but detachably securing it to the tub to form afirm, safe hand grip for anyone using the tubso that, by grasping the same, he may safely seat himself in the tub and lift-himself therefrom without danger of slipping. Preferably, the device is made of such width that it may also beused as a seat.

In my copending application Serial No. 748,747, filed May 1'7, 1947, I have disclosed a safety bar of this general type which is especially designed for attachment to a bathtub of the'built-in type. Many tubs, however, are not of thebu-ilt in type but have the tops of the sides thereof outwardly and downwardly curved. Such tubs are generally positioned with one side thereof adjacent a wall of the room but, nevertheless, somewhat spaced therefromto prevent dirt fromaccumulating in the depression which would otherwise be formed between the'side of the tub and the adjacent wall.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which may be readily attached to and detached from a bathtub of this type, and which is adjustable so pull it off or displace it so that anyone using it to assist himself in getting into or out'ofthe tub may have entire confidence in its stability. Another object is to provide a deviceof this character which is light in weight, highly resistant to corrosion, which may be colored or enameled to conform to any color scheme, and which may be constructed and sold at low cost.

I accomplish these objects by means of the novel elements and the combinations and arrangements thereof described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a plan View of my device showing a fragmentary portion of a bathtub to which the device is attached;

Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1 in a longitudinallyextending, vertical plane through the center thereof;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of my device;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, bottom view of the bar showing a recess which is formed in one end of the bar to receive the clamping and adjusting mechanism; and

Fig. 5 :is a fragmentary, perspective view of the clamping and adjusting mechanism.

Referring to the drawings-- 1 represents the tub having the sides Zwhich are provided with outwardly and downwardly curved ledges at the top, as shown at '3. '4 indicates the safety bar which may be formed of any suitable material, such as wood, plastic or light metal, and which is of a lengthadapting it to extend transversely across the top of the tub and be supported on said ledges, as shown in Figs. 1 and :2. The bar may be of substantially any width, but is preferably wide enough to form a comfortable seat In such case, where it might be clifiicult to obtain a firm grip thereon, the bar is provided with 'a longitudinally-extending slot 5 so that the bar may be grasped along either of the outside edgesor along the sides of the slot. Adjacent one end and depending therefrom is -:-a first clamping element 6 which is rigidly secured to the-bottom of the bar by means of screws '5. The element 6 is inwardly inclined, as best shown in Fig. 2, and. has a block of rubber or similar material 8 inlaid in the inner face thereof which is adapted'to engage the outeredge 9.0f the adjacent ledge 3.

At the other end, the bar, on the bottom thereof, is mortised out, as shown at H! in Figs. 2 and 4, to 'receive the frame ll, best shown in Fig. 5, and which is provided with upstanding bearing members 12 and 13 in which the threaded shaft or worm I4 is rotatably mounted. The bearing I3 is of smaller'sizethan the bearing I2, and the shaft M is reduced in diameter where it passes through the bearing 13, as shown at I5 in Fig. 2. The shaft is held within the bearings by means of a washer 1-6, a nut I1 and a locknut [8. In order to turn the shaft l4, it is provided with an exterior handle I 9, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

A nut 20 cooperates with the threaded shaft or worm M and is moved along the shaft when i said shaft is turned. The nut 2r? rides in the slot 21 in the frame I I and is thereby prevented from turning. Depending from the nut 20, and illustrated as integral therewith, is a second clamping member 22 having a blo'ck'of rubber or similar material'2-3 inlaid in the inner face thereof adapted to engage the outer edge 9 of the adjacent ledge '3 on the tub. The assembly just described is secured to the bar t by means of screws 24.

It 'willbe noted that the clamping members not only :depend somewhat below the outer edges 9 of the ledges 3 when the bar is supported on top of the ledges but, also, that the opposed faces of the clamping elements formed by the rubber blocks 8 and 23 are downwardly and inwardly inclined toward each other so that, when the bar is clamped to the tub, the distance between the portions of the opposed clamping members which depend below the outer edges 9 of the ledges is less than the distance between said outer edges. This is a very important feature of my invention because, when the bar is clamped to the tub, it is obviously impossible to pull it therefrom or accidentally displace it.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that my bar provides an extremely simple safety device which can be manufactured for sale at a reasonable price. The metal parts may be formed of a corrosion resistant metal or alloy, or, if formed of a metal which is vulnerable to corrosion, may bev chromium plated.

While I have described my invention in its pre ferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the words which I have used are words of detrue scope and spirit of my invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

1. A safety device for a bathtub comprising a rigid bar of a length adapting it to extend across and rest upon the tops of the sides of said tub,

a pair of depending elements having substantially flat clamping surfaces, one secured to said bar adjacent each end thereof, adapted tangentially to engage only the top outside edges of said tub, and manually operable means cooperating with one of said elements for moving it towards and away from the other of said elements to clamp said bar to said tub and release it therefrom.

2. A safety device adapted for application to a bathtub having the tops of the sides thereof out-, wardly and downwardly curved; said device comprising a rigid bar of a length adapting it to extend across and rest upon the tops of the sides of said tub, a clamping member having a substantially flat clamping surface secured to said bar adjacent each end thereof and depending below said bar a distance adapting it tangentially to engage only the adjacent outside of said tub, and manually operable means cooperating with one of said elements for moving it towards and away from said other element to clamp said bar to said tub and release it therefrom.

3. A safety device adapted for application to a bathtub and comprising a rigid bar of a length adapting it to extend across and be supported on the top of said tub, a first clamping member fixedly secured to said bar adjacent one end thereof and depending therefrom, a threaded shaft rotatably mounted in the other end of said bar, a second clamping member including a nut cooperating with said shaft and depending therefrom; said clamping members being adapted to engage the opposite sides of said bathtub therebetween, and a handle on said shaft for turning the same to effect relative movement of said clamping members towards and away from each other.

4. In a safety device for a bathtub of the type having overhanging ledges at the top thereof, the combination with a rigid bar of a length adapting it to extend transversely across and be supported on the tops of said ledges, of a clamping element secured to said bar adjacent each end thereof and depending therefrom a distance somewhat in excess of the vertical distance between the top of said tub and the outer edges of said ledges, and manually operable means for 4 moving one of said clamping elements towards and. away from the other whereby to clamp said bar to said tub and release it therefrom; the distance between those portions of said clamping elements which depend below the outer edges of said ledges when said bar is clamped to said tub being less than the distance between said edges; whereby said bar cannot be pulled from said tub when clamped thereto.

5. A safety device for a bathtub of the type having overhanging ledges at the top-thereof; said device comprising a rigid bar of a length adapting it to extend across and be supported on the tops of said ledges; a first clamping element rigidly secured to said bar adjacent one end thereof and depending somewhat below the outer edge of the'adjacent ledge on said tub when said bar is supported on said ledges; a frame secured within a recess inthe other end of said bar and flush with the bottom thereof and having bearings enclosed within said recess, a threaded shaft extending longitudinally of said bar rotatably mounted in said bearings and a nut cooperating with said shaft for movement therealong when said shaft is turned; a second clamping element depending from said nut below the outer edge of the adjacent ledge on said tub when said bar is supported on said ledges; and a handle on said shaft for rotating the same; said depending clamping elements having opposed faces which are inwardly inclined to the vertical and adapted to. engage the outer edges of said ledges; whereby, said bar cannot be pulled from said tub when clamped thereto.

6. A safety device for abath tub comprising a rigid bar of .a length adapting it to extend across and rest upon the tops of the sides of said tub and being of a width adapting the upper surface thereof to be used as a seat, a pair of depending elements having substantially flat clamping surfaces, one secured to said bar adjacent each end thereof, adapted tangentially to engage only the top outside edges of said tub, and manually operable means cooperating with one of said elements for moving it towards and away from the other of said elements to clamp said bar to said tub and release it therefrom.

7. Asafety device adapted for application to a bath tub having the tops of the sides thereof outwardly and downwardly curved, said device comprising a rigid bar of a length adapting it to extend across and rest upon the tops of the sides of the tub, said bar being slotted between its ends to provide oppositely disposed hand grips, a clamping member having a substantially flat clamping surface secured to said bar adjacent each end thereof and depending below said bar a distance adapting it tangentially to engage only the adjacent outside edge of said tub, and manually operable means cooperating with one of said elements for moving it towards and away from said other element to clamp said bar to said tub and release it therefrom.

HOWARD S. BENNETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATEN'IS I Number Name Date 665,208 Goodwin Jan. 1, 1901 1,223,786 Hammond Apr. 24, 1917 1,261,758 Brown "Apr. 9,11918 

